What you must know about injury protection for Uber riders and drivers

Whether you’re using Uber as the passenger or the driver, the days of worrying about financial costs of injury and medical expenses when you get an accident are over. Starting 21 December 2018, you will get insurance from Uber through UAP-Old Mutual when you get an accident while on a Uber ride. Uber has called this Injury Protection for Uber riders and drivers.

While this sounds like a given, no ride hailing companies have pulled it off before Uber. The huge growth of ride sharing means an increase in issues not previously considered when it comes to transportation. Injury protection for Uber riders may well just be the start of a safer ride sharing industry.

The ride hailing industry is still relatively new and already booming with two-wheelers like uberBODA and four wheelers like Uber and Taxify. Riders are looking out for affordable prices and safety of their property and life. Sometimes accidents happen. Protection against medical expenses and other costs when you hail a ride gives riders peace of mind.

Injury protection for Uber will give riders in Uganda a level of insurance that comes at no cost riders for the first time. Injury protection for rider will apply to all uberX and uberBODA rides. As a rider, you get cover from the time their ride begins, until the trip ends.

What about Uber driver-partners? These will also benefit from this innovative cover. It starts the moment they accept a trip, while driving to pick up a rider, and until the trip ends.

Benefits of injury protection for Uber riders and drivers

Medical cover: If an accident happens on-trip, this cover reimburses drivers and riders for necessary medical treatment costs up to UGX 1,875,000. In addition, this cover reimburses ambulance service costs.

Death and funeral payments: In the unfortunate event that a driver-partner or rider dies as a result of an accident On-Trip, their dependents or heirs will benefit from a lump sum payment of UGX 7,500,000 . They will also obtain an amount of UGX 750,000 for funeral expenses.

Permanent disability payments: In the unfortunate event that a user suffers a permanent disability as a result of an accident on-trip, they will benefit from a lump sum payment up to UGX 7,500,000. The amount depends on the severity of the disability, as determined by UAP Old Mutual.

Daily payment benefit for drivers (injury): If a driver is hospitalized for more than 48 hours as a result of an accident that happened on-trip and are thereafter unable to drive because of those injuries, they will receive a daily payment of UGX 13,000 for up to 30 days whilst they are medically certified by a doctor as unfit to work.

Injury Protection for Uber riders in Uganda is tailored specifically for those on the road. It builds on Uber’s existing security structure while ensuring a safer ride during every journey booked through the Uber app. This is just part of our ongoing efforts to support drivers and riders on the road.